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NOTICE: pig's ear chews recalled; salmonella risk

Karlin

Karlin

Administrator
Staff member
Dog Treats Recalled
Pig ears could contain infectious salmonella.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is recalling packages of “Berkley & Jensen” brand full-cut pig ears dog treats due to potential contamination of salmonella, an organism which can cause serious infections in both dogs and humans.

The packages subject to recall have no lot number and only the expiration advisory “Best if used by 2009,” without referencing a specific month. Confirmatory testing is ongoing but until the testing is final, BJ’s Wholesale is asking consumers to stop feeding the treats to their pets.

Dogs that become ill from salmonella generally will have a fever and diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus. Affected animals may seem more tired that usual, and may have vomiting. Some dogs will have decreased appetite, fever and excess salivation.

If your dog has consumed the recalled product and is exhibiting these signs, contact a veterinarian.

Salmonella can also potentially be transferred to people handling these dog treats, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

There have been no confirmed illnesses to date and the products have been removed from sale while the problem is being investigated, BJ’s Warehouse says. BJ’s currently operates 172 warehouse clubs in 16 U.S. states.

BJ’s members who purchased “Berkley & Jensen” Full-Cut Pig Ears dog treats between Jan. 1, 2006 and March 8, 2007 should discontinue use of the product and may return the unused portion to any BJ's Wholesale Club for a full refund.

Consumers who have further questions may contact BJ’s toll free member mare line at (800) BJS-CLUB.

For more information on salmonella, visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration website at www.FDA.gov.
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from http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/2007_03/2007_03-10news003.aspx
 
Ick :yuk: . I only ever gave Maxx a pig's ear once and that was when hubby bought it for him as a present. He immediately threw the thing back up and vomited so much that I took him to the Vets. Never again :(
 
My GR thinks pigs ears are a gift from royalty. Sad to hear of possible more contamination of dog "staples". Guess it's something always to keep in the back of your mind when a dog isn't feeling well.
 
My life would not be worth living if I didn’t give SiânE her pig’s ear at night. :shock:

The whole house goes in to panic mode to get some more or she’s throw a strop for the rest of the night. :?
 
Mine like pig's ears too; I sometimes give the small pieces but a whole ear would be too much -- probably twice Lily's daily ration! :lol: Any rawhide or dried meat treat is at risk of salmonella -- and keep in mind a significant percentage of raw supermarket chicken has some traces of salmonella on it. So it is always wise to wash hands carefully if giving these as treats. There is much debate as to whether salmonella actually affects dogs much -- many vets and nutritionists think their digestive systems handle it without much problem. I'd think this is more important for the owners than the dogs, despite the slant of the article.
 
The pig ears my petshop has in stock at the moment are huge. My big guys (the Boxers) devour them in minutes, but my little guys (the Cavaliers) take days to get through their pig ears. As soon as I notice they are not chewing on it, I pick it up, put it in a plastic bag & put it in the freezer. This halts the growth of bacteria during the time that it is frozen. Of course, it will start up again once it becomes warm from being chewed, but the overall growth of bacteria over time is dramatically reduced. It is the number of bacteria that governs if and how sick one becomes.

Still, if there is a known problem with a batch of pig ears, I'd be tossing them out as it isn't worth the risk.
 
Karlin said:
Mine like pig's ears too; I sometimes give the small pieces but a whole ear would be too much -.
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SiânE only gets half a pig’s ear. Great fun trying to cut them up with shears. Nearly lost a couple of fingers doing it. :shock:

I think the main problem I have found is how they are stored in the shops. It’s cheaper to buy them loose but if they are not cover in the shops you get more problems then just bacteria, you can get living friend as well. :?

A local market stall sold chopped up pig’s ear that were sealed in bags. Perfect for SiânE but he’s not been around for about a month

He did tell us that all the pig’s ears sold in the UK were from Germany as they are no longer produced in the UK. Not sure how true that is, but did explain the difficultly he had getting the sealed bags.
 
i didn't realise that rawhide could be a risk for salmonella it's like everything just wash your hand throughly with anti bac soap. I don't give pigs ears they freak me out i am such a whimp.
 
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